PACF asked for a government grant to improve the Philippine Australian Cultural Centre but later decided to sell the property.
According to a newsletter dated January 2015 released by Kevin Conolly, Member for Riverstone, the Philippine Australian Community Foundation (PACF) received funding in the amount of $34,200 “for renovations of toilet and bathroom facilities at the Schofields Centre.” The PACF manages the affairs of what is better known as the Philippine Australian Cultural Centre which was previously called the Filipino Multi-Purpose Centre (MPC).
It was also published in the February edition of another Filipino newspaper that the decision to sell the Cultural Centre was made during a special meeting of the PACF board on January 31, 2015. The price tag according to LJ Hooker Riverstone is $2,490,000.
Sometime in 2013, PACF was able to obtain a grant of some $34,000 which was used to build a canvass covered court behind the single-storey structure at No. 80 Grange Avenue in Schofields NSW. Reports have it that MP Conolly was also behind the approval of that government grant.
Now this is another grant on top of a similar amount that has already been granted to the same Filipino organisation. But no matter how I look at it, something smells fishy and immoral.
Did the PACF managers inform the Member of Parliament of their intention to sell the property at the time they applied for the grant?
It must be remembered that Blacktown Council has classified the location of PACC as a “high risk flood zone” area. Thus, the council has ruled out approval for any possible development that may pose a danger to life and limb.
We called the office of Mr Conolly for comment. In spite of his busy schedule campaigning for this month’s election, he managed to find time to return our call. He said that when PACF lodged the application for a government grant, it was clearly stipulated that the money must be returned should the property be sold. Mr. Conolly added that there is possibility that PACF has not availed of the grant because there appears to be no further improvement in the toilet and bathroom facilities for which the grant was given.
As of press time, Ms Luz Tiqui was overseas and could not be reached for comment. ? — by Dino Crescini